Sydney Harbour the centrepiece for the world’s best sailing action this December

by Jane Gordon 12 Dec 2017 01:53 GMT

European royalty, Olympic medallists, international ocean racers, 100-foot super-maxis, one-person dinghies and thousands of sailors will take to Sydney waters, starting this week, as a sailing spectacular kicks off summer on magnificent Sydney Harbour.

There may not be any room for seven swans a-swimming in the countdown to Christmas and the Boxing Day start of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, but the spectacle of boats of all shapes and sizes on Sydney Harbour will lavish attention on one of Sydney's finest assets.

"There's a reason why Sydney is known as the Emerald City, because as soon as summer comes, it shines like no other in the world", Australian Sailing CEO John Lee said.

12.30pm on Tuesday 12 December sees four of the biggest yachts and race favourites for the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race get in last minute practice when the CYCA SOLAS Big Boat Challenge gets underway off Point Piper. Black Jack, Beau Geste, Wild Oats X and Wild Oats XI line up for racing on a tight Sydney Harbour course, a guaranteed spectacle for anyone on the water or on the Harbour foreshore.

Showing a love of Australian waters and big boat racing, passionate sailor and adopted Australian, Frederick Crown Prince of Denmark will be joined by his Tasmanian-born wife Crown Princess Mary on the Harbour on Tuesday. Shortly after touching down with their children for an Australian Christmas, both will be onboard Wild Oats XI for the Challenge on Tuesday.

After his first visit to Hamilton Island Race Week in August and a win in the first race of the series on Wild Oats X, Prince Frederick is keen to get back onto the exciting big boats he relished in the Whitsundays and compete again on Australian waters. For the couple who famously met in Sydney in 2000, they return to Sydney Harbour where in 2005, they battled it out in a series of 20-minute match races, with Mary the victor.

International ocean racing is expected to come ashore from Thursday 14 December when the Clipper Round the World Race fleet of 11 identical 70-footers is due to start arriving in Sydney, almost halfway through this years' 40,000 nautical mile route. Wendy Tuck, the first Australian skipper to take part twice in the arduous ocean race, is keen to lead the fleet into her home port of Sydney on-board Sanya Serenity Coast.

More sailing continues with Olympic gold medallists, Olympians and World Champions in action at Sail Sydney this week where more 350 sailors are competing across Olympic and invited classes, hosted by Woollahra Sailing Club.

Pictures of Olympic sailing on Sydney Harbour during the Games in 2000 were relayed internationally as Sydney was the first Olympic city anywhere in the world which held their sailing competition in a harbour waterway, rather than at sea. This week, Olympic medallists will compete against World Champions in a quest for supremacy as 2017 draws to a close while later in the week, the invited classes get a chance to join the spectacle.

With an eye to Boxing Day, preparations are well underway for the start of the 73rd Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with 107 yachts entered. There will be four supermaxis joined by a slew of local entries along with 30 international entries from New Caledonia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, USA, China, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Russia and the United Kingdom including the 11-strong Clipper fleet.

Australian Sailing Performance Director Iain Murray grew up on Sydney Harbour and welcomes all of the activities that showcase sailing, saying "there's no greater experience than being on the water for the adrenaline that big boat racing provides and the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge is just the start. The spectacle of Boxing Day on Sydney Harbour, both from the water and from around the shoreline, is an unbelievable sight.

"This week we have some of the greatest sailors in the world including Olympians and World Champions here at Sail Sydney across an array of classes and ages. We have a full contingent of Australian Sailing Team and Squad athletes and the level of competition is first-rate. There is also an amazing list of youth sailors who will gain great experience from the regatta and it's a chance to see some of most talented junior sailors and champions of the future. Everyone will have to ensure their best performances in quality fleets in all of the classes across the challenging Sydney Harbour course", Iain said.

Twelve sailing activities on the waters of Sydney Harbour

Four of the world's super-maxis are currently in Sydney Harbour - Wild Oats XI, Black Jack, InfoTrack, LDV Comanche

Tuesday 12 December 2017

• Two super-maxis and two maxi yachts will compete in the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge – Black Jack, Wild Oats XI, Beau Geste and Wild Oats X.
• Frederick, Crown Prince of Denmark and Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark arrive in Sydney on Tuesday morning and join Wild Oats XI for racing on Tuesday from 12.30pm

Monday 11 – Sunday 17 December 2017

• Australian Olympic Gold medallists Mat Belcher (London 2012) and Tom Burton (Rio 2016) on the water at Sail Sydney
• Nine Olympic medallists competing at Sail Sydney (Belcher, Ryan, Burton, Waterhouse, Darmanin [AUS], Max Salminen [SWE], Sam Meech [NZL], Alex Maloney & Molly Meech [NZL])
• Over 360 competitors for Sail Sydney across Olympic and Invited classes, with 21 boat classes
• Largest fleet of 49ers competing on Sydney Harbour since 2000 Olympic Games
• At least 12 America's Cup sailors taking part across SOLAS Big Boat Challenge and Sail Sydney
• Multiple World Champions from Australia, Sweden, Great Britain, both Open and Youth

From Thursday 14 December

• 11 identical 70-footers competing in the Clipper Round the World Race arrive in Sydney, halfway into this years' 40,000 nautical mile race, ahead of their entry into Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Tuesday 26 December

• Boxing Day start of the 73rd edition of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with 107 yachts including 30 internationals and four supermaxis.

What is being tipped as 'Ashes on the Water' during the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with the Australian crew of Invictus Games Sydney 2018 DOWN UNDER taking on the UK crew of Invictus Games 2018 GAMEON. For the first time, sailing will be contested at the Invictus Games in Sydney in October 2018.